Runumi ( Assamese:ৰুণুমী) is the ninth

Assamese language Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a ''lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian language, ...

film. It was directed and produced by Suresh Chandra Goswami and released in 1952. The film is based on

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

’s play ''The Warriors at Helgeland''. It is the second Assamese film to have been shot in location and open floor after '' Joymoti''. The film stars Kanaklata Saikia, Neyimuddin Ahmed, Suresh Goswami, Indreshwar Barthakur, Hironmoyee Devi. The film was set in Assam and Nagaland (then the Naga hills of Assam).

Banned in 1952

Although the film was running in good response, the then

government of Assam The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minister, ...

headed by chief minister

Bishnuram Medhi Bishnuram Medhi (24 April 1888 – 21 January 1981) was an Indian politician and freedom-fighter who served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 1950 to 1957 and Governor of Madras State from January 1958 till May 1964. Early life Bishnuram ...

suddenly banned due to some unknown reason that left Goswami completely bankrupt. The government did not offer any reason for the ban.

Retrieving the film

After the ban, Goswami’s brother-in-law Lakshminath Borthakur took it for some "illegal" viewing in some tea gardens and since that time it was lying in a tin trunk box in Borthakur’s residence. After four decades, Borthakur’s son Amiya Borthakur returned it to Guwahati-based Dolly Borpujari, daughter of Mr Goswami. The 13 reels are still in original cans.

Present condition of the film

Preliminary examination indicates that a significant part of the film could still be intact. But the actual condition of the print will be known only after it is checked by experts for due to the high-humidity conditions of the region the cans have caught rust and a few of them even have developed cracks, because of which some of the contents might have got damaged.

Restoring the film

Utpal Borpujari, Goswami’s grandson and a noted film critic, is already in touch with relevant people in Mumbai for the cleaning of the print and transferring it to other formats. The

National Film Archive of India The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964. It is was a member of the International Federation of Film Archives. In March 2022, it was merged with ...

in Pune is expected to restore and preserve the film.

The Appeal

The late Goswami’s family has appealed to the Government of Assam to let the people know why the film was banned, and also come forward to help restore and preserve the film. It also appeal to anyone directly or indirectly involved in making of the film or related to any material of the film or had seen the film to send or share those materials and memories.

References